2024 Dodge Charger Daytona First Look
Blending muscle-car heritage with modern tech, Dodge gets back in the performance game.
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QuickTakes:
Dodge's first electric car draws heavily on the brand's muscle-car heritage, both in terms of style and swagger.
The chiseled 2024 Charger Daytona boasts a couple of high-output electric drivetrain options, while a pair of gas-powered models will remain on the menu for those not ready to ditch an all-oil diet.
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2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Arrives With EV Power
The all-electric 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona debuts with two distinct trim levels: the entry-level Daytona R/T and the step-up Daytona Scat Pack. The initial run of 2024 Charger Daytonas will all be two-door coupes, with a four-door body style set to join the lineup early next year.
All Charger Daytona models ride on parent company Stellantis' STLA Large platform, which was designed specifically with battery-electric models in mind. All-wheel drive is fitted as standard, as is a 400-volt propulsion system. Despite varying in door count, Charger Daytona coupe and sedan models share an identical wheelbase.
The 2024 Charger Daytona R/T is good for 496 horsepower, which includes a standard Direct Connection Stage 1 upgrade kit that adds 40 horsepower. The 2024 Daytona Scat Pack, which comes from the factory with a Stage 2 upgrade that adds 80 horsepower, develops a near-Hellcat-like 670 horsepower. The Direct Connection Stage kits will be optional on future Charger Daytona models.
Dodge says a Charger Daytona Scat Pack kitted out with the Stage 2 package is capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and covering the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds. Those figures are made possible by a PowerShot mode, which gives the Charger Daytona an incremental 40-hp boost for up to 15 seconds.
An available Track Pack should ensure the Charger Daytona Scat Pack stops and corners as well as it goes in a straight line. The package includes upgrades such as 16-inch Brembo brakes, staggered 20-inch wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar 3 summer tires, and a dual-valve semi-active suspension that promises better handling and a smoother ride than the Charger's previous suspension system.
Even though the Charger Daytona has ditched its V8, it can still sound like a traditional muscle car thanks to Dodge's Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust system. The system uses two passive radiators to create an exhaust sound that, according to Dodge, has the intensity of the now-departed supercharged Charger Hellcat.
Both Charger Daytona EVs are equipped with a 100.5-kWh nickel-cobalt-aluminum battery pack. The less-powerful Charger Daytona R/T is capable of traveling 317 miles between charges, while the electron-guzzling Charger Daytona Scat Pack can go up to 260 miles before needing to be plugged in. Level 3 fast charging can take the battery from 20% to 80% in a little more than 27 minutes.
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Dodge Samples Its History With Charger Daytona's Clean Lines
Though an all-new type of vehicle for Dodge, the battery-powered Charger Daytona is a familiar shape with clear ties to the brand's muscle-car past.
Up front, that means a rectangular front fascia with sharp edge lines. Accent lighting is provided by an LED bar, and all Charger Daytona models feature an R-Wing front hood design that uses an airflow pass-through to increase downforce.
In profile, the Charger Daytona is reminiscent of the Dodge Charger and Challenger models that ended production in 2023. Similar design cues include a long hood, a swept-back roofline, and a short decklid. Charger Daytona R/T models roll on standard 18-inch wheels, while the wheel wells of the Scat Pack are filled with standard 20-inch rims.
Rear lighting is provided by a band of LEDs that Dodge has dubbed the "ring of fire." On both the front and rear of the car, the traditional Dodge emblem has been replaced with the brand's latest Fratzog logo.
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The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona Interior Is Full of Tech
A redesigned interior brings a squared steering wheel that frames a floating 10.3-inch digital gauge display. If that's not enough pixels for you, a 16-inch cluster screen is optional on the R/T and standard on the Scat Pack.
Infotainment duties are handled by a 12.3-inch touchscreen running Uconnect 5 with Amazon Alexa and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A modern interpretation of Dodge's pistol-grip shifter is located in the center console.
Notable options include nappa leather upholstery (cloth and synthetic leather are standard), a full-length glass roof, an augmented reality head-up display, an 18-speaker Alpine sound system, and Attitude Adjustment accent lighting, which displays lighting animations for different events, such as starting the car or stationary revving.
All Charger Daytona models include Auto, Eco, Sport, Wet/Snow, and Track drive modes. The Scat Pack model gets an additional Drag drive mode.
In addition to its standard array of drive modes, the Scat Pack also features Race Options such as Donut Mode, which allows drivers to easily spin the electric muscle car in circles, and a Drift Mode to help drivers oversteer around corners. Both modes are best suited for on-track use, of course.
In order to make sure the Charger Daytona's drive modes don't get you into too much trouble, the car is equipped with standard safety tech such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, blind-spot detection, and active driving assist. Optional upgrades include a 360-degree monitor and a camera system that provides the driver with a view of the vehicle's blind spots.
The Charger Daytona employs a hatchback design, which allows for up to 38.5 cubic-feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded. That's a 133% improvement over the previous Charger. A front storage area — referred to as a frunk — provides an additional 1.5 cu-ft of storage space.
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2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV to Hit Dealers in Mid-2024
Production of the two-door Charger Daytona R/T and Charger Daytona Scat Pack is scheduled to commence in mid-2024. Four-door versions of both Charger Daytona trims will come online during the first quarter of 2025.
Pricing has not been announced as of March 2024.
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2024 Dodge Charger Gets Turbocharged Gas Power but Not Until 2025
For those not quite ready to make the full transition to electric, Dodge will also offer a pair of gas-powered Charger models.
The two-door-only Charger SixPack H.O. is set to be motivated by a 550-hp version of Stellantis' 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six, which the automaker calls Hurricane in its Jeep and Ram models. That same gas burner will also appear under the hood of the four-door Charger SixPack S.O., albeit detuned to 420 horsepower. Both variants will use an eight-speed automatic to send power to all four wheels.
Production of the two- and four-door Charger will begin in early 2025, with pricing to be announced at a later date.
